San Antonio’s music scene can be so random, can’t it? We’re used to being ignored, musically speaking, the Jan Brady to Austin’s Marcia. Sometimes though, awesome bands surprise us and act like San Antonio is what it is: a huge metropolis and interstate highway hub just a quick jaunt down the road from tour mecca Austin, with plenty of enthusiastic kids ready to mosh their brains out. Japanther is one of those groups that gets it, dammit. Just this spring, Brooklyn’s finest art-punk duo played DIY joint the Bearded Lady during the SXSW spillover season. They also played the 1011 back when we all knew it as the Warhol. The shows are always a steamy, crowded clusterfuck, in the best sense. Japanther returns to the 1011 this week to play its party noise with locals Lisa Frank and XRY. They’re loyal to us, let’s be loyal to them. Besides, you just can’t miss with a group that Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore calls “spazz gods … a lean slam boogie machine with no time for boredom.” $5, 8pm, Thur, Sep 16, The 1011, 1011 Ave. B, 320-9080, theteneleven.com
Critic's Pick
Release Date: 2010-09-15
